Woman who k’illed her husband for his wealth was met with the shock of her life after she discovered her husband had wittingly transferred his wealth to a trust.
Kouri Richins, a 33-year-old widowed mother-of-three, wrote a children’s book to help her bereaved sons deal with grief in the aftermath of their father’s sudden d’eath.
Image: The couple and Kouri promoting her book
Now, only months after the book was published, she’s been charged with her husband's m’urder. She is accused of poisoning his Moscow Mule with five times the lethal dosage of fentanyl.
Kouri was due to get access to his estate valued at $3.6million after his d’eath, according to the terms of a prenup. Under its terms, on Eric's d’eath, pretty much everything would pass seamlessly to Kouri.
But fearing his wife might 'k’ill him for the money', he transferred his assets into a trust that he placed in control of his sister.
Kouri Richins Charged With K’illing Husband After Writing a Book On how To Grief
Eric Eugene Richins was born in Bountiful, Utah on May 13, 1982 to Gene and Linda (Carter) Richins. From a young age, Eric developed a fondness for caring for horses and cows, and he spent countless hours supporting his father in ranch work, such as hauling hay, feeding the animals, and repairing fences. He held an unwavering love for his family and was a committed son, brother, and uncle.
In 2009, Eric divorced his first wife Julie Jorgenson, whom he had married in 2005. Tragically, Julie passed away at the young age of 26 in January 2011 in a horrific car accident. According to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune, while Julie was waiting at a red light, a pickup truck smashed into her vehicle at a speed of 70 mph, causing it to burst into flames.
The driver of the pickup truck, who was later sentenced to prison, had been under the influence of marijuana and was unable to see through his frost-covered windshield.
Eric's Marriage to Kouri
Eric placed enormous importance on his position as a devoted family man and worked tirelessly to be the best husband and father possible. He held a deep affection for his three sons, Carter (9), Ashton (7), and Weston (5), and showered his wife of nine years, Kouri (Darden) Richins, with love and devotion. Eric went to great lengths to ensure that his family had access to every resource necessary to promote their growth, learning, and enjoyment.
The decision to draft a prenuptial agreement was motivated by Eric's past experience of going through a divorce with his first wife, Julie Jorgenson, in 2009.
As per the prenuptial agreement, Eric and Kouri had mutually consented that neither of them had any entitlement to the 'present or future income, or assets of the other, including, but not limited to, the business known as C&E Stone Masonry LLC [which] is owned in partnership between Husband and a third party,' except if Eric passed away before Kouri while they were still married.
On June 15, 2013, the prenuptial agreement was signed along with the wedding certificate, and it stipulated that in the event of Eric's death, his assets would be smoothly transferred to Kouri without any hassles.
Without Kouri's knowledge, Eric moved their family home, all personal belongings, and his share in the masonry business he co-owned with his friend and partner, Cody Wright, into a trust that he entrusted to his sister Katie Richins-Benson, who was 38 years old at the time.
The prenuptial agreement estimated the value of Eric's share in the business at around $2.5 million in 2013. However, according to legal documents filed by Kouri, the actual value of Eric's share at the time of his death had significantly surpassed that amount.
Kouri and Eric's Family
The relationship between Kouri and the Richins family became strained shortly after Eric's death. Within 48 hours of his passing, tensions arose between them.
Kouri has alleged that on March 5, the night after Eric's death, a group of people, including Eric's sister, stayed overnight at the family home. The following morning, on March 6, 2022, Kouri requested that Eric's sister depart to allow her time and privacy to mourn her husband's death.
Kouri has claimed that despite her requests, Eric's sister refused to leave the family home and began threatening and verbally harassing her. When Kouri insisted that she depart, Eric's sister allegedly claimed that Kouri did not have ownership of the family home and threatened to evict her from the property.
Less than two weeks after Eric's sister, Richins-Benson, commenced the probate action to execute her brother's will, Kouri filed her claim against Eric's estate and his sister on March 28, 2022.
Kouri Writes and Promotes Her Book
After her husband's passing, Kouri Richins authored a picture book titled "Are You With Me?" aimed at helping children deal with the loss of a loved one.
Last month, Kouri appeared on a local Utah television channel to promote her book, stating that she and her three young sons had collaborated on its creation to depict the various emotions and grieving processes they had endured over the past year.
Kouri is Charged For Murder
According to the charging documents, police have alleged that Kouri purchased street-grade fentanyl from a friend between February 11 and February 26,2022, spending $1,800 in total. Just three days after her first alleged purchase, Eric became violently ill after a Valentine's Day dinner with his wife and confided in a friend that he suspected his wife might have poisoned him.
This was not the first time that Eric had expressed his fear regarding his wife's intentions. In 2020, while on a vacation in Greece, he called his younger sister, Amy, 35, and informed her that he had fallen ill after consuming a drink prepared by Kouri. At that time, he had expressed concern that Kouri may have poisoned him.
Kouri Richins is currently in custody, and her preliminary court hearing is scheduled for Friday, May 19.
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